Q: I would like to write articles for a comic book site focused on a particular super hero with no pay being offered (it would be great practice). The requirements are as follows:
You have to have a solid background in the comics of this particular super hero, meaning a minimum of five solid years of collecting and owning at least 500 such comics out of the 2,500 or so that have been printed.
I don’t have any of these comics at all, yet I am willing to read anything I can to catch up to speed. How would you handle this situation and present yourself as a ready, willing, and able contributor despite ignorance of the subject?
A: Frankly, I’d bark up another tree. The idea of having to jump through a bunch of hoops JUST to get to a point where you can write for nothing is a very foreign concept to me. What’s your goal? If it’s to launch a commercial freelancing business and do it as reasonably expeditiously as possible, this doesn’t sound like a good strategy.
More to the point, you can’t fabricate experience you don’t have. They know what they want, and they know that in order to get the final product they’re looking for, the writer needs to be well-versed in the subject, and well-versed over a long period of time, where you absorb the nuances of the subject, something you’re simply unlikely to be able to pull off in a crash effort. That said, if you REALLY want to do it, then approach them with your limitations, accompanied by your enthusiasm, and check it out. Though, if you’ve read NONE, and you approach them and have to admit that, I’m guessing they’ll send you packing.
If you’re NOT trying to build a commercial freelancing business, then you don’t need my advice! Seriously, find an arena where you DO have some experience, or which doesn’t require a lot. You’ll be much happier than trying to beat your head against the wall in an attempt to make inroads into an arena for which you’re unqualified.